It must have been the hardest thing for COPE’s leader Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota to endorse Reverend Mvume Dandala as the party’s presidential candidate for the upcoming elections. Lekota, who started up COPE, is said to have been unhappy about the party’s decision to make Methodist bishop Dandala the face of its election campaign. At first it was a battle between Lekota and Shilowa for who would lead the party and Lekota got the vote as the party president. Then it was now a matter of deciding if the party president will also be the presidential candidate. Lekota must have thought that he will by default be the presidential candidate but it was not meant to be.

I guess what made it even worse for Lekota is the fact that Shilowa backed Dandala as opposed to backing Lekota himself. If we are to believe reports, it is said that Lekota had not accepted the choice of Dandala. “He (Lekota) did not want to hear anything about the matter and did not even want to meet with the [congress national committee ] delegation,” an insider said.

But by lunch time yesterday (Monday), Lekota was in a different mood. He denied at a press conference that he was unhappy with Dandala’s appointment. “He is not new to the game, he was with us in the UDF [United Democratic Front]… it is in these difficult times in our country that men of his calibre are needed to take the hopes of the people,” said Lekota. He said he was thrilled that Dandala had agreed to join their team.

Is Lekota really happy about the appointment of Dandala? Only time will tell.